If Nightmares Were True, Death Would Come for You
by courierchell
Summary: Sophie was never a good person. She had a long time of pretending and then Nuka World brought her in. Porter Gage knew her and it was refreshing.


Chapter One.

She'd tried to keep the ruthlessness at bay. Every now and again it slipped. A theft her, a murder there. But after the fall of the Institute and the supply of quests from the Railroad slowed to nearly a trickle, she became reckless.

Then they'd heard the call of the Nuka-World advertisement and her companion had seen Harvey. She saw through his facade but still went. She called it curiosity. Her companion had called it her good nature. She'd spent the gauntlet actively sabotaging them, but she always made sure they had a stimpack to heal right up. Her good nature was spent. She owed no one except the synth relocate of her son. But he didn't know her, and she left him at the Island full of good people who would take care of him.

The gauntlet finished after the boring and uninteresting fight with the Cockney man in the power armor. She hated cheats and he deserved his demise. The man greeted her through the doors was tall. About her age. Covered in old blood stains with an eyepatch she suspected hid nothing but a normal eye.

His facade was an interesting one and she'd wanted to know more. So, she followed him and when he offered to come with her, she convinced her companion she'd be fine and dismissed them to the Castle. No one there to tell except the radio man who only gave out locations over the air. No wonder the damn settlements were always being attacked. The companion would be fine there.

He'd come with her and had watched over her interactions with the raider leaders. He had praised her. Gave her more to strive for. Then they cleared out the various parks. The parks that no one had bothered with for over two hundred years. Surprisingly, with Gage at her side, clearing the parks became easier and easier the longer they worked together. The Galactic Zone took a week. They had given it to the Operators. Dry Rock gulch took 2 days, although they didn't sleep so it only felt like one. The Disciples were lucky to get this one. Safari Adventure took 3 days and she let Cito stay. She never checked up on him. The Pack were the obvious choice for this one. The Bottling plant was tedious, and she let the rage that had begun building up take care of the Queen and the various other 'lurks and Assaultrons. Took them less than a day and to the Operators the Plant went.

Then Kiddie Kingdom came to view. The green misters full of radiation were a menace. The wild goose chase left her with scars and various other quirks that come from being exposed to too much radiation constantly. In and out of buildings, popping Rad-X and hoping nothing came for them while waiting for the Rad-Away to cleanse their systems. By the time they had confronted Oswald, it took everything she had to not puke and pass out. She'd had Gage fish out a holotape she'd found during a detour to the town of Bradberton after clearing the bottling plant. The glowing ghoul left in peace after, leaving behind his sword and his hat as a promise he'd continue to find his cure. Once he was gone, Porter had to pull her as far from the rad barrels in the room. The clicking on her pip-boy was slower than it had been, and he had quickly hooked her to another Rad-Away. She'd taken a day of resting before she had awoken panicked. Porter was there and there was no more clicking from the Pip-boy. He'd cleared the area as best he could. From there they had eaten, and she'd seen how he looked more gaunt than usual and neglected to say anything. They assigned the park to the Disciples as a rude joke to Nisha, and beelined to Nuka-Town USA to get properly treated by Makenzie.

It took her nearly two weeks to heal up enough to make up and down the elevator. She was bored and Porter had mentioned that someone named Shank was looking to meet her. He wouldn't come to her though, and so she spent the two weeks sniping birds from the widow of the Fizztop. Her brain constantly fighting sleep from the nightmares from the parks and the nightmares from her husband. She wondered when she would be able to go back to the Commonwealth. She wondered when she'd started referring to Porter as Porter. From there her train of thought trails through every touch and meaningful stare. The touches were longer, placed with intention. He rarely slept away from the Fizztop and had moved the cot from inside, to the patio. They had begun having more and more conversations and she had realized she yearned for more of them.

But then she was healed enough to make a trip out of Nuka-Town and so she packed up and sought out Porter. Then they headed to find Shank. Shank told them it was time to take the fight to the Commonwealth, and as he talked, her smile became larger and scarier. It was time for payback. And no one would be able to save them.

Chapter Two.

Porter knew who Sophie had been before she'd arrived. He'd scouted her. Sent others to scout her. Minutemen General. Savior of the Synths. Railroad Heavy. Secretly constraining her rage and raider side. She'd stopped murdering the raiders for settlers for a long time. Just murdered the leader and watched as they scrabbled to find someone new to lead them. Unless they'd kidnapped her settlers. Then every single one of them died, save for the one she left as a message, to next batch of raiders who dared. The world wanted a hero and she was a good pretender. No one knew and the ones who did were wise enough to keep their mouths shut.

And he knew she was what they were looking for. Someone to best Colter. And so, Porter had set everything up. She came, she saw, and she conquered. By the time they had gotten to taking over the Commonwealth he was sure he was in love with her.

He did not know, however, was the care she took in taking care of the settlers. Maybe it was the good in her, or maybe it was just a precaution for her goods. But when they had walked up to the first settlement and there were turrets for days, he wasn't going to lie. He straight up balked. There was no way they were going to be able to take the settlement.

But then she had walked straight up to the main leader and within 5 minutes had convinced him to clear off to another settlement. He was in awe of this woman. The settlers cleared out, she had easily set up a raider radio tower and left it for the Operators, and before he knew it, they were back on the train for Nuka World.

He'd opened for the second time to her. Told her about his childhood about how he ran off, picked up odd jobs, joined gangs and ended up working with. She was sympathetic but not overly so. He left the conversation with a gnawing feeling at his gut.

By the time they had 3 raider settlements and 4 vassal settlements, he was spilling his guts about Connor and all that bullshit. By the end of it, she's got him telling her about he's been thinking about her and him and he's laying out his anxieties about their relationship. She manages to convince him in the end and he's finally able to relax the gnawing feeling and it's suddenly got a name.

They head back to Nuka-World and while on the train, time slows and suddenly they're on one another and the air is hotter than usual and shine in her hair is brighter and everything is more intense and he's needy and eager. She knows what she's doing, and he's got no problem letting her. Somehow his armor is off and she's getting at his jeans. She commands him to strip her and the whole world blurs, as he touches her, and she touches him, and everything gets a bit stickier. The noises she makes is pure bliss and he can't stop his own sounds from escaping. They just seem to spur her on and finally she lowers herself onto him and he must hold her still for a minute. Of course, she doesn't stay still, and it becomes a fight for it not to end. He's sure she's doing it on purpose and if the train were lit, he's sure he'd see her shit eating grin on her face. Of course, it does nothing for his self-control. And so, he reaches down to touch her and somehow, he manages to last through her first climax, and he follows closely.

She's still on him and she's still making sounds, but he's old, and they're nearly to Nuka World. He tells her so, and oh he knows they're not finished this evening. They are somehow dressed by the time the train pulls into the station, the raiders on watch are at a minimum since it's late and the ones on duty tend to be high or drunk or both and so they're able to make it through the plaza and to Fizztop with few prying eyes. They board the elevator and by the time they're at the top, she hasn't got her top on. She locked the elevator and she takes him to bed. Now they're on sturdier ground there's more room and more ways to play with and God if he hasn't been waking to dreams of this, he'd be sure this was one.

By sunrise, they're both spent. Curled together on her bed and he's watching her fall asleep and he wonders where she'd been his own life. It's rhetorical of course, but he's so head over heels for her he wouldn't know what would happen if she left or betrayed him. He's sure she wouldn't do either.

By the time they wake there's chaos down below and he takes care in waking her. He knows she doesn't sleep and he's sure this is the first real sleep she'd gotten since they cleared Kiddie Kingdom. He doesn't want to wake her but he's getting worried at the ruckus below.

She awakes with a jolt and he's quick enough to avoid the punch she throws. He talks at her until she calms down. When she's calm, she apologizes and he says there's nothing to apologize for, Boss. He's sure the name is setting flame another type of fire, but there seems to be literal ones below. He's telling her so, and she's in a flurry to get dressed and armed and armored. She helps him put his armor on and they're on the unlocked elevator heading to the Market to see Shank.

Shank tells them that the Pack has revolted against them, and Gage sees her eyes turn dark and her hand tighten on her gun. She thanks Shank for the information and then turns on her heel and heads to the power plant.

Chapter three.

She is angry. Pissed off, seething. Her .44 is more than enough to take care of anything they come across, which isn't much but that just fuels the fire.

How dare they?! The insolent bastards. There was a reason the Pack got more than a fair share when she divvied the settlements. Fuck Mason. It was time the dog was put down.

Mags, her brother, and Nisha were waiting near the guard post to the Power Plant. Porter talks her into talking with them. They agree on a plan and she leads the charge. Clearing the Plant is simple. The lesser Pack members are either scared of her or are too stupid to stay out of her way and they're gunned down. The ones who do stay out of the way will be given to the other gangs, or they'll become traders.

They reach the roof as the night begins to fall. She turns on her Pip-boy light and welcomes anyone dumb enough to approach her. She underestimates Mason's firepower and jumps out of the way once she hears the grenade split into the smaller grenades. Most of them fall off the building and she gets up and moves around until she find the greedy bastard's flaming red hair. She lets a round off into his gun arm, another into his left leg where she knows he's got a knife stored.

He's screaming and trying to fend her off. He's in too much pain to fight though and she's able to get her arms around his neck. Suddenly he is clawing at her and kicking, but he's losing air and she's telling him he should have left good enough alone, but greedy pigs get nothing but slaughter. She whispers into his ear until he stops fighting and goes limp.

For good measure, she blows his brain out and spits on the mess she's made. She takes the key off his corpse and gestures to Porter to turn the power on. He takes the key from her and turns the power on and returns to her. From her perch above the traitor, she leans into Porter and they watch the Park light up like it should have done 200 years ago.

Chapter four.

Unsurprisingly, Garvey had found out about her. He was in Sanctuary and she was passing through. He stopped her and had lectured her. She'd rolled her eyes and told him to fuck off or she'd blow his brains out too. He left with a scalding message which she shouted after him that he could balls up and do his own damn job.

She sent him on his way to Vault 88. It was self-sufficient and she never had to visit it, he left albeit not without a fit. She flipped him off as he walked away, and then turned and headed up the hill.

She reached the top and pressed the button for the elevator. She ran to it quickly and Porter had barely made it by the time it had started to descend. She would have laughed but this moment was important. Even Porter knew it was a serious moment.

The elevator landed and the grate screeched as it rose to allow them access to the Vault. It was cold, and she stood straighter and moved forward. They headed to the back of the vault, tracing the steps she'd first taken 210 years ago. Finally, she approached the pod room and stood in front of Nate's pod.

His corpse was still there. Covered in blood and frozen solid. Her hands shake as she reaches for the handle to release the door to the pod. The door hisses as it's released and swing upwards. She pulls out her .44 and says to the corpse.

"I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by."

She says it to the eternal grave of her late husband. She'd found out how it malfunctioned. If you cool something too rapidly but not rapidly enough it dies. Same for heating.

"Oh Nate. If only you could see me now."

She's here for one reason and one reason only. To make sure he's properly deceased. Sure, she saw him shot at point blank range. But her son was alive, and he wasn't supposed to be. Which means he could very well be alive underneath the frozen blood and the gunshot wound.

She'd come here with Gage. Oh Gage. He let her free. He was ruthless and evil, but he was understanding and calculating. He could look past her past. He trusted her to save Nuka-World and the Commonwealth from itself.

Oh, but Nate. Perfect, precious, war hero and loved by all Nate. He'd tried to save her from herself. He'd tried to erase the past. He'd made it so she was confined to the short unforgiving culture that was the prewar housewife picture perfect couple. He hadn't let her out. She had been stuck.

"You failed. Failed at being a husband, a father. You were weak. Now you are dead and so is Shaun. And now I'm free. You hear that? I'm free."

She lines her gun up for the headshot and pulls the trigger. The sound reverberates loudly through out the Vault. Nate doesn't bleed. He's been dead for years. She laughs out loud at this fact and fires again and again, until the gun needs reloaded. She dropped the gun, reaches for the latch mechanism, and pulls it as she falls to the ground. Porter is holding her with one arm, a silent support. She cries for a while and he doesn't say anything.

Eventually, the tears stop coming and she knows she'll still have nightmares, but at least they might be different ones from the ones before.

Porter helps her up, and they leave the Vault forever, with the knowledge that the man of her past is gone for good.

Chapter five.

What's there left to do when you own most of the Commonwealth? Claim the parts you don't own.

They'd started with the Railroad. She'd thrown in her MIRV grenade the Operators supplied her with. Took out most of the low-end agents. Desdemona, she had the pleasure of blowing her brains out and Deacon wasn't here. Was he on an op? who knows. But he'll find her eventually. She left the robot. Left a teasing note for Deacon and headed out of the crypt. Now it'll be used for storing dead bodies, as it should.

After the Railroad, she cleaned out Diamond City, starting with the stupid bitch at the trade store. The rest were easy to pick off. It was hardly a challenge. She stuck to the Marketplace, since it was broad daylight and only the children were inside. She did have a soul left and she was still above killing children. Killing their parents? She wasn't above that. She wondered if Nick would come back to check on Ellie. Ellie was left to keep the kids taken care of. She'd always wanted them, now she had all of them.

Then they cleared out Goodneighbor. She spared Daisy, and KLEO and Fahrenheit. The rest were either dead or enslaved and there wasn't a problem with that. Hancock was stuck on Spectacle Island. His heart wouldn't take him from Shaun until news spread that far.

Eventually Deacon did catch up with her. He'd made a speech as he shot at her, he didn't really want her dead and the poor shots proved it. She knew he didn't want to live; he'd had his life taken from him twice now. She evaded his shots and eventually came up behind him. When he turned around, he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. His eyes were blue, and she was surprised she didn't know that. She wasn't sure what he saw when she pulled the trigger, but she was sure he'd at least see Barbara again. Wasn't that nice?

After that, there wasn't much left that she didn't own in the Commonwealth. Nuka-World was thriving. The was more trade recently than all the past combined. She talked it over with Porter. There wasn't much else for them to do there. So, they decided to go on an adventure to the south, maybe Florida. It would be a long way, but they took what they could carry and loaded up Dogmeat. And they set off, certain that they would find their way back to the Commonwealth in due time.

Maybe it would change again. Maybe it would get worse. Maybe a hero would come through and try to help. But they had changed it once, and they'd be able to change it again.


End file.
